Smart cards have active faces with pads thereon that are contacted to read and write the card. One type of connector for small standardized cards of the MICROSIM type, is described in French patent publication 2,742,561, wherein the connector has a horizontal face that supports the entire card and with contacts projecting slightly above the horizontal face. That publication also describes a sheet metal cover that slides on the support to enable full insertion of the card followed by sliding of the cover to hold down the card.
Another type of standard card is the MMC (MultiMediaCard) sold by Sandisk Company. The MMC card is similar to the MICROSIM card, but has a single row of pads at its front end and is of greater length. A connector similar to that described in the French publication but for an MMC card, would be of greater length. It would be desirable to provide an electrical connector for longer cards such as the MMC card, but where the connector had only a small length.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided where the connector has a small length compared to that of the smart cards to which it can be connected. The connector includes a card-engaging face with contacts mounted thereon, with the ends of the contacts that project above the face lying in a contact-holding face part of the card-engaging face. The card-engaging face part has a longitudinal length no greater than half the entire longitudinal length of the card, with a rear portion of the card extending in a cantilevered fashion rearward of the card-engaging face part when the card is fully inserted.
The contacts have tails for soldering to traces on a circuit board, the tails lying at the rear edge of the contact-holding face part. The support has side guide extensions that extends rearward of the rear edge of the contact-holding face part, to help guide the card and to protect the tails of the contacts during handling and transport prior to mounting.
The card is held down by a sheet metal cover that is fixed in position on the support. The cover has a main part lying above and parallel to the card-engaging face, flanges that extend downwardly at opposite sides of the support, and tabs at the lower ends. The tabs are soldered to traces on the circuit board.
The card has a polarized corner that extends about 45xc2x0 to the front and side edges, and the support has a polarized wall that engages the polarized corner of the card to assure proper orientation of the inserted card. A switch that detects full insertion of the card, lies within a polarized region adjacent to the polarized wall.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.